US Airways Dividend Miles (Pre-FlightFund Merger) - Why doesn't US have employee class?

One thing struck me this week on an nearly empty flight from PIT-DCA. The equipment was an A321. The F Class cabin was only 1/4 full if that much and there were about 50 in coach.

Yet, nearly 10 or more US crew and employees boarded the flight--NONE of which were seated in F Class.

This is a remarkable contrast to UA where UA crew and employees are at the front of the boarding line, elbowing UGS and 1Ks out of the way and making mad dashes to be the first to fill the F Class overheads. Heck, I have been on UA flights where the entire F Class cabin was crew except for me. In some cases, UA has upgraded employees over paying passengers and elites. :mad:

Why doesn't US have this problem? Don't get me wrong, i am not asking for it, but if F Class is virtually empty why not sit the crew there? Some of the best conversations I have had have been with US pilots, but those have been in coach. It has happened once or twice where the FAs have gone back into coach after shutting the door and pulled a pilot into F.

I certainly don't know what US's policy is, but I've sat with crew in F before. I'm certainly glad they don't tend to act like you've described though!
In fact, just last week heading down to MSY there was a uniformed pilot who waited around and sat in first when it was obvious there were 2 open seats. He sat next to another (non uniformed) employee who was heading down on vacation. When the pilot learned that the employee's husband was in the back, he instructed the FA to go back and bring him up too; the pilot just moved to the other empty seat (next to me.)

When I first saw the title of thius topic, I though you were asking why US employees don't have class. ;)

When US staff are traveling for personal reason, such as vacation or commuting to/from work they have to pay a fee for F/C. Coach travel is free.
UA employees pay a fee for all travel; the first class fee is higher. My guess is since they have to pay anyway, many choose to upgrade.

US staff traveling for business (such as to/from training classes) they do not pay for F/C.

Deaheading crews on US are suppossed to be assigned in coach (in an exit row if it is available).

Jumpseating pilots (US or other carrier) are a horse of another color. US pilots may occupy the actual jumpseat, but may choose to sit in the cabin. Since 9/11, pilots of other carriers may not sit in the actual jumpseat. (Although considered J/S for ticketing purposes). They are usually seat assigned (in coach) by the gate agt, but after introducing themselves to the captain (this is done even though they will not sit in the cockpit), the captain may invite them to seat in F/C.

On a recent disasterous (service-wise) CLT-PHL flight, the FA's (casted directly from the movie "Mean Girls" with not one out of her mid-20's) ignored the entrie FC cabin as we sat at the gate for an hour on ground hold. At some point, a non-rev FA comes up front from Y and chats with the FAs in the galley, returns to coach, and then returns to FC with his belongings and takes an empty seat. Then one of the FAs offers him--and him only--a bottle of water, in front of all of us! Outrageous. :mad: To keep this somewhat on topic for the thread, there were two pilots in back who never were offered and never took any of the four remaining empty four FC seats.

One thing struck me this week on an nearly empty flight from PIT-DCA. The equipment was an A321. The F Class cabin was only 1/4 full if that much and there were about 50 in coach.

Yet, nearly 10 or more US crew and employees boarded the flight--NONE of which were seated in F Class.

This is a remarkable contrast to UA where UA crew and employees are at the front of the boarding line, elbowing UGS and 1Ks out of the way and making mad dashes to be the first to fill the F Class overheads. Heck, I have been on UA flights where the entire F Class cabin was crew except for me. In some cases, UA has upgraded employees over paying passengers and elites. :mad:

Why doesn't US have this problem? Don't get me wrong, i am not asking for it, but if F Class is virtually empty why not sit the crew there? Some of the best conversations I have had have been with US pilots, but those have been in coach. It has happened once or twice where the FAs have gone back into coach after shutting the door and pulled a pilot into F.


Ummm Neo I hate to burst your bubble, but your comments irritate me. We at United DO NOT get F over anyone else. If YOU or anyone else chooses not to upgrade or pay for the F seat, then the seat is given to an employee if there are deadheading crew members or pass riders. You get what you pay for. I have been in the back of the bus WAY more times than in F and it still irks me that people do not understand this concept. You want F you pay for F with whatever means, awards, cash, credit.
We get the seats after ALL upgrades are done.
So your comments are wrong. If you feel they are justified bring it up with United as breaching the order is a firable offense. I have been pulled from F many times as well to accomodate a last minute upgrading passenger.

I am sorry Gman,

But that is NOT the case. After being turned away for an upgrade to F class on a 757, UA upgraded several uniformed FAs to F and as a full fare Y PAX I sat in the back. Since then I have refunded thousands of dollars of business from UA and taken it elsewhere. This happened right in front of my face and it was only by chance that I noticed this when I walked through the F Class cabin.

Ummm Neo I hate to burst your bubble, but your comments irritate me. We at United DO NOT get F over anyone else. If YOU or anyone else chooses not to upgrade or pay for the F seat, then the seat is given to an employee if there are deadheading crew members or pass riders. You get what you pay for. I have been in the back of the bus WAY more times than in F and it still irks me that people do not understand this concept. You want F you pay for F with whatever means, awards, cash, credit.
We get the seats after ALL upgrades are done.
So your comments are wrong. If you feel they are justified bring it up with United as breaching the order is a firable offense. I have been pulled from F many times as well to accomodate a last minute upgrading passenger.

The policy may be that employees should pay for F seats, but the practice is that they often take them at the last minute. I have observed that the flight is sometimes not catered with enough meals for them.

I don't begrudge them this right at all, and I agree with the OP that it is interesting to talk to them. I certainly think that allowing them to take F seats that are open once the flight closes should be an official policy. I didn't realize that this was being done outside the system and I think it is another example of not treating the employees nearly as well as they treat us.

They usually ask one of the FAs if it is alright if they take a seat up front, so I'm sure it is informal, but I see it fairly often. I don't think I've ever seen crew in Envoy, however. Although I clearly fly that less often, so perhaps it does happen from time to time.

The policy may be that employees should pay for F seats, but the practice is that they often take them at the last minute. I have observed that the flight is sometimes not catered with enough meals for them.

I don't begrudge them this right at all, and I agree with the OP that it is interesting to talk to them. I certainly think that allowing them to take F seats that are open once the flight closes should be an official policy. I didn't realize that this was being done outside the system and I think it is another example of not treating the employees nearly as well as they treat us.

They usually ask one of the FAs if it is alright if they take a seat up front, so I'm sure it is informal, but I see it fairly often. I don't think I've ever seen crew in Envoy, however. Although I clearly fly that less often, so perhaps it does happen from time to time.

Bring this to Roachfest. It would be great to have US Airways Empoyees in first class. I enjoy chatting with them. Maybe if the EXECS of US Airways heard that we wanted them upfront (of course after everything cleared) they might listen to our suggestion. :)

I agree that they deserve to be up front, after every possible upgrade--paid or otherwise--has been processed.

I don't begrude them this at all and think it a nice perk for them to enjoy. I hope they can take a spouse/partner, too, with them if there's room. I would like to see non-rev employees, however, asked last for their meal choice. There's a difference between a "right" and a "perk": if I paid to be there and they didn't, then my right to a meal (which they would have not gotten still back in Y) trumps their perk of getting any empty seats.

I always enjoy sitting next to a pilot at PHL when he can explain to me all the ground traffic and who is going where and why. It feeds my hyper-organizationed, type-A side! :D

I would like to see non-rev employees, however, asked last for their meal choice. There's a difference between a "right" and a "perk": if I paid to be there and they didn't, then my right to a meal (which they would have not gotten still back in Y) trumps their perk of getting any empty seats.

I think this is the way it has always been done. I have been on flight in years past in coach where they did not have enough meals for non-revs and have asked them to identify themselves by ringing their call button.

I have never had this problem on US.

I fly on revenue tickets, but date a non-rev, so we talk about a lot of the differences. He's on NW, and said the policy is to pass on F meals and selections until all the revenue passengers have had an opportunity. I know he does that, though I can't speak to how many others do that as well.

I don't work for US , but I have NEVER offered a non-rev pax a meal over a revenue customer...ever. Nor have I been asked by a non rev for a special choice. Most non-revs are greatful if they even get a meal.